books about scotland

The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene is a vintage Nancy Drew mystery set in Scotland. The Nancy Drew series was originally conceived in the 1930’s by American publisher Edward Stratemeyer who wanted to create a mystery series aimed at a young, female readership. The series was immensely popular and has continued in popularity into the present time. The books are written by various writers using the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.

Typical of Nancy Drew fashion, the plot is not too complicated, the action is constant, and there is a happy ending. Nancy and two friends accompany Nancy’s father to Scotland on a business trip that will also include a visit to Nancy’s great-grandmother’s ancestral home to look into some matters related to Nancy’s inheritance, including a valuable piece of jewelry that has gone missing. Even before Nancy leaves America she receives threats telling her not to go to Scotland, averts a bomb, and finds a suspicious figure stealing her autograph. It appears that Nancy’s trip to Scotland may be fraught with danger.

On the way to Scotland, during a stopover at Nancy’s aunt’s in New York, Nancy conveniently learns to play the bagpipes. Next thing they know the group have set foot in Scotland and intrigue finds them at the first hotel they stop at. Nancy also learns of sheep thievery happening in the highlands. Nancy and her friends head to Loch Lomond to see the scenery. Danger and mystery find them there and continue to haunt them as they travel first to Edinburgh and then north to Ft. William. It appears they are getting too close to the thieving operations.

Eventually, with the help of Fiona, a new friend from the Isle of Skye, and Nancy’s great-grandmother, Lady Douglas, Nancy is able to unravel what is happening to the sheep. She also discovers the missing jewel is connected to the sheep thieves. Can Nancy get the police officers to believe her and can they relocate the heirloom jewelry?

“Mrs. Drummond had a substantial supper ready. It started with cock-a-leekie soup of leeks and a boiling hen. Then came mutton stew, filled with potatoes and small white turnips. There was kale as a side dish, and for dessert a bowl of steamed bread pudding filled with currants and topped with custard sauce.”

“‘I’ve just had a brainstorm,’ Nancy declared. ‘Great-Grandmother, it’s a daring one, but I hope you won’t have any objections. I’d like to dress in the Cameron kilt and the rest of the costume I wore before, climb Ben Nevis to the point where I saw that piper, and play Scots, Wha Hae.'”

Travel Notes: This is perfect reading for elementary and middle school-aged children that are planning a trip to Scotland or learning about the country. Nancy visits Glasgow; the Castle, Royal Mile, St. Giles, John Knox’ house, and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh; Loch Lomond; the Highlands; Ben Nevis; and Ft. William (where they view a secret portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the local museum).

B is for Bagpipes: A Scotland Alphabet by Eve Begley Kiehm is the ideal book to introduce children to Scotland and give them a taste for this country. Set in the format of the multitude of other similar “alphabet books,” there is a page for each letter of the alphabet along with a corresponding Scottish word (i.e. B is for Bagpipe, H is for Haggis). A four line piece of verse gives the definition for the word and the beautiful illustrations help to show what that definition means. Even better, several paragraphs of more detailed explanations are included for each letter in the margin of the page making this book suitable for very young ages all the way to middle school.

B is for Bagpipes covers all the important Scottish topics one would want to communicate to children: bagpipes, clans, the sword dance, Edinburgh and the castle, Greyfriar’s Bobby, haggis, the islands, the Jacobites, the kilt and all that accompanies it, the Loch Ness monster, Mary Queen of Scots, wildlife, porridge, the Picts, Robert Burns, Robert the Bruce, golf, tartan, William Wallace, and more!

This book is well illustrated and the pictures capture the beauty of the country and her classic features.

Travel Notes: this book would make a great introduction to the land of Scotland for any child and would help prepare him or her for their own journey there.

Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes by Robert Louis Stevenson is a short, beautifully written description of Edinburgh by a classic author with a deep connection to this, his place of birth.

This book is divided into ten chapters. Stevenson gives particular attention to Edinburgh Old Town, Parliament Close, Greyfriars Kirk, New Town, Calton Hill, and the Pentlands. Stevenson describes the views, the buildings, the people that walk the streets, the legends that abound, the weather. He vividly captures in words the feelings that Edinburgh creates in the hearts of those who traverse her streets.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850 and grew up in the city, eventually becoming famous for such works as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He possessed a winsomeness with the pen that has been enjoyed by readers the world over. It is fitting that he should pay tribute to the city of his birth in the pages of this book.

“Half a capital and half a country town, the whole city leads a double existence; it has long trances of the one and flashes of the other; like the king of the Black Isles, it is half alive and half a monumental marble.”

“It was a grey, dropping day; the grass was strung with rain-drops; and the people in the houses kept hanging out their shirts and petticoats and angrily taking them in again, as the weather turned from wet to fair and back again.”

“There is no Edinburgh emigrant, far or near, from China to Peru, but he or she carries some lively pictures of the mind, some sunset behind the Castle cliffs, some snow scene, some maze of city lamps, indelible in the memory and delightful to study in the intervals of toil. For any such, if this book fall in their way, here are a few more home pictures. It would be pleasant, if they should recognize a house where they had dwelt, or a walk that they had taken.”

Travel Notes: This is an ideal book to read while you are in Edinburgh as it provides one with a beautiful introduction to each part of the city and some history behind the various sections of the city and its most famous buildings. It is also a delight to read after a visit to Edinburgh as each chapter will bring to mind memories of what was enjoyed in person.

The Guynd by Belinda Rathbone is a modern day memoir set in the Scottish countryside outside Arbroath. Rathbone, born American, meets and marries a member of the Scottish aristocracy and moves with him to his run-down ancestral home in the countryside. This book tells the story of her adjustment to Scottish country life, of her relationship to a man tied to his family home, and of her endeavors to build a life for her family in these circumstances.

It is great fun to open the pages of this book and begin to read the story of how Belinda met her future husband at a cousin’s wedding. Soon the pair are living together in Scotland and Belinda is exploring the many rooms of her husband’s ancestral house, the Guynd. Unfortunately, the house has fallen into disrepair over the years as the previous generation died and John (Belinda’s husband) finds it necessary to be living elsewhere. The couple decides to make this their permanent home and together begin renovations.

Restoring the Guynd is not going to be as easy as Belinda hoped. John becomes sidetracked over and over again by his obsession with saving things that should be thrown out, or saving money by doing without. Belinda finds herself freezing in the cold Scottish autumn because radiators are never turned on until a certain date in November no matter what. It is hard to come to a unified agreement on what the restorations should look like and how they should be accomplished.

Meanwhile Belinda works on getting to know the people living on their estate, the other landed families who live in the area, and the general Scottish way of living life. There are both delights and disappointments to be found as Belinda learns the way things are done in this part of the world. She also begins to understand the downside of having a large family home — the money required for upkeep, the problems with tenants, a garden that has been overgrown for decades.

Sadness creeps in as we realize that Belinda and John’s marriage has a shaky future and the life that Belinda is working so hard to build at the Guynd is not going to remain for the long haul. Her time there has been another chapter in the long history of this family home.

Rathbone’s memoir is unique in that it gives a modern day look at the realities of life for those living in large, ancestral homes. For those of us in love with shows like Downton Abbey and Monarch of the Glen this is an excellent way to experience vicariously this kind of life. The daily life of the average Scottish citizen would need to be found in a different memoir.

Travel Notes: The Guynd is privately owned so it is not possible to visit the house. However, you can see a few pictures and find information about the house on this site. This book is great reading if you plan to visit any country homes in Scotland or have an interest in Scottish life.

Red Sky at Night by John Barrington is an enchanting account of one shepherd’s year herding Scottish black-face sheep in Glengyle in the Trossachs near Loch Katrine. Following the rhythms of nature, Barrington takes us on a journey deep into the countryside where we behold the joys and heartbreaks of shepherding work, catch glimpses of the world which foxes, badgers, and hawks inhabit, and vicariously relish the bountiful country fare his wife serves up for dinner.

John Barrington is highly respected in Britain (and beyond) for his work with sheep and sheepdogs. He communicates his vast knowledge in a humble and subtle way that leaves the reader in awe of the skill required to be a successful shepherd. Barrington celebrates the high points of the shepherd’s year and the many joys that come with working with animals. He also does not shy away from the necessary hardships and heartaches that inevitably arise. As each season comes around Barrington includes in his narrative details about weather changes, bird migrations, flora and fauna, and community happenings.

This book is an excellent way to gain a true picture of the life of a Scottish shepherd, the important yet hard work that involves, and the beauty and joy it brings.

“The blizzard struck from the north without warning, as sudden and brutish as a Viking raid. The wind tore at everything, searching out any weak point in a quest for absolute destruction. The stout walls of Glengyle house stood firm, but outside, who could tell what havoc the furies of the night were wreaking.”

“By the time I reach the house, the other herds are already seated around the dining-table, tucking into one of Maggi’s magnificent meals. Rich steaming soup is followed with roast leg of lamb accompanied by mint sauce. A set of big bowls containing cabbage, carrots, roast potatoes and one holding a mountain of creamy mashed potatoes, together with a giant jug of thick gravy, sit in the middle of the table….Maggi follows on well with generous helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard.”

“It is not only on the arable land that a bountiful harvest is manifesting itself but along every hedgerow and in every thicket hips, haws, nuts and berries are maturing into full colour and ripeness. This wild harvest is every bit as important as that of the farmer.”

Travel Notes: If you are at all interested in Scottish sheep, shepherding, or nature this is the book to read. The book would be pertinent to many areas of Scotland but is itself set in the Trossachs, near Loch Katrine. You can find information about Glengyle House, which John Barrington lived in, here. You can even find lodgings at the nearby Glengyle Steadings.

Further Reading: It is worth noting several other titles on shepherding in the British Isles for those interested in more reading on the subject:

The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks — just out a few years ago this is an excellent choice for learning about modern shepherding in the Lake District (note: there is some language)

Mairi Hedderwick is a well-known Scottish author and illustrator whose sketching style is easily recognized and loved by many. Hedderwick is most famous for her Katie Morag children’s series but has also written and illustrated a handful of books for adults based on her travels around Scotland.

In Hedderwick Highland Journey Mairi decides to take the artwork and writings of John T. Reid and retrace the journeys he took in the highlands and islands in an attempt to illustrate the very same places and scenes in the twentieth century. Hedderwick intersperses descriptions of her own wanderings, mishaps, and adventures with direct quotes from Reid’s original book. It is both interesting and amusing to see the change (or lack of change) that is discovered in various places 114 years after the original rambles. Most enjoyable is seeing the art of Reid side by side with that of Hedderwick.

The Literary Traveller in Edinburgh by Allan Foster is a guidebook for the die-hard literature lover headed to Edinburgh. With over 275 pages of information, this book gives you places relevant to famous authors and their works, bookstore locations (including many, many used bookstores), literary tours, as well as lists of publications and writers’ groups based out of Edinburgh.

The book is organized by area, beginning with the Old Town and moving out from there to the Canongate, Holyrood and Calton, then further afield to places like Morningside, Abbeyhill, and the West End. The organization makes it easy to choose one section of the city to visit and then plan your sites accordingly. A helpful index in the back of the book aids in finding your favorite authors and thus all the places in Edinburgh relevant to their life.

To give you an idea of content, here are a few places listed under “Canongate”: 22 St John Street: Lodgings of Tobias Smollett (1721-71), Historian and writer of picaresque comic novels and Canongate Kirkyard: graves of Adam Smith (Scottish philosopher), Robert Fergusson (Scottish poet influencing Burns), Mary Brunton (Scottish novelist), and James Ballantyne (friend of Sir Walter Scott).

Unless you are extremely well read in Scottish literature you may find yourself overwhelmed by all of the unknown characters showing up on the pages of this guide. Don’t let that deter you. Rather, use this book as a springboard to discovering new-to- you authors and their works. Included in each site entry is a quote from the pertinent work/author as well as a section for further information and further reading as well as links to other places in the guidebook that may be of interest. This book is also a great resource for the armchair traveller interested in finding more authors to become familiar with.

Travel Notes: This book is all about Edinburgh and its environs. If you are headed to Edinburgh and love literature, check this book out!

Island: Diary of a Year on Easdale is a beautiful volume chronicling twelve months of natural life as observed by Garth and Vicky Waite on the tiny island of Easdale just off the west coast of mainland Scotland. Those familiar with The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady will recognize a similar layout of handwritten pages decorated with watercolor, well-chosen nature quotes, and personal insights into the authors’ daily lives.

The introduction to the book shares the happy and coincidental circumstances of the couple’s meeting, how they decided to retire to Easdale, and their decision to put their talents together into this volume. Reading through the volume gives a gentle look at what life is like living in a fairly remote area as well as the varieties of plants, flowers, animals, and birdlife one might find in this part of Scotland.

“The normally shy otter which evaded us on our early morning vigil in June, gave us a delightful surprise at mid-day today……” So begins the pages belonging to September. As fun as it is to read this book straight through from beginning to end, it would also be the perfect kind of book to pull out at the beginning of each new month and read a chapter, comparing life where you live to life there on Easdale.

Travel Notes: You can travel to Easdale Island! Check out the island’s website here. Of course this book is applicable to many of the Scottish islands including the isles of Mull and Skye.

Val McDermid’s Northanger Abbey is such a fun book choice if you want to read fiction set in modern Edinburgh. Part of “The Austen Project,” Northanger Abbey is a re-write of the Jane Austen classic by the same title. In keeping with the terms of the project, Northanger Abbey maintains the same plot and the same characters Austen created but creatively takes the setting to 21st century Edinburgh during the annual Edinburgh Festival.

Following the original plot, Catherine (Cat) Morland is invited to join her friends the Allens in Edinburgh for the Festival. There she keeps company with the Thorpe siblings who appear to like her but don’t seem to have her best interests at heart. Cat meets the handsome and well-mannered Henry Tilney (who happens to have an ancient home in the country named Northanger Abbey) and upon becoming best friends with his sister, Ellie, secures an invitation to stay with them at the Abbey. Along the way Cat’s brother is engaged to Bella Thorpe but Cat begins to question Bella’s sincerity. Will things turn out right for Cat’s brother and will Henry ask Cat to marry her? (And why is the death of Henry’s mother shrouded in so much darkness and silence?)

Of course there is no surprise ending or twist of plot in this book. Rather, the surprise is in how McDermid reinterprets 18th century personalities and events into modern day Scottish life. Edinburgh comes alive in a special way during the month of August each year when it hosts the Edinburgh Festival. This Festival includes music, theatre, opera, books, art, and street performers. One could spend their entire day (for three weeks) hopping around the city to various performances, lectures, and exhibits. There is a buzz in the air as the city swells with visitors eager to feast on the arts at the largest cultural festival in the world. McDermid captures some of the excitement and aura of the Festival in this story.

Plenty of place names are included in the book which helps to make it seem more real: all kinds of locations in Edinburgh (West End of Queen Street, Morningside, Lawnmarket, Arthur’s Seat, Haymarket, and Princes Street to name a few) as well places beyond (Glasgow, Linlithgow Palace, Stirling, Kelso, Loch Lomond, Jedburgh, and Melrose).

McDermid ends the book with this quote: “The moral or message of this story is hard to discern. And that is as it should be, for as Catherine Morland found out to her cost, it is not the function of fiction to offer lessons in life.” I’m not quite sure I agree with that statement, at least not completely. It seems quite clear that the message of this Northanger Abbey is not to let your imagination run away with you to such an extent that you deny reality.

I have never been a fan of “re-writes,” but I found Northanger Abbey such fun that I’ve read it twice now! If I were packing for a trip to Edinburgh this is a book I’d considered putting in my suitcase!

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